This week's top stories

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stories
  • Hampton elementary teacher Margo LaBrie and one of her students, Bentley Hagan, visit via computer with NTV’s Kent Boughton during Friday’s Outstanding Teacher presentation as part of the end-of-the-year Hawk Honors assembly. Hagan nominated LaBrie for the award.
    Hampton elementary teacher Margo LaBrie and one of her students, Bentley Hagan, visit via computer with NTV’s Kent Boughton during Friday’s Outstanding Teacher presentation as part of the end-of-the-year Hawk Honors assembly. Hagan nominated LaBrie for the award.
  • Elva Wall is all smiles as she gets an up-close, maskless visit from her son Bud and his wife, Luana.
    Elva Wall is all smiles as she gets an up-close, maskless visit from her son Bud and his wife, Luana.
  • Aurora seniors celebrate becoming alumni after their graduation ceremony Saturday by tossing their caps into the air.
    Aurora seniors celebrate becoming alumni after their graduation ceremony Saturday by tossing their caps into the air.
  • Kelsey Bergen (left) with Aurora Development Corporation goes over information with student Caden Carlson.
    Kelsey Bergen (left) with Aurora Development Corporation goes over information with student Caden Carlson.
  • Caden Carlson was already celebrating before hitting the mat after clearing the 14-01 mark at the B-5 District track meet Thursday. He later cleared 14-08, putting him second on Aurora’s all-time list.
    Caden Carlson was already celebrating before hitting the mat after clearing the 14-01 mark at the B-5 District track meet Thursday. He later cleared 14-08, putting him second on Aurora’s all-time list.

    Margo LaBrie nominated for NTV teaching award
    Hampton fourth grader Bentley Hagan admits that math is hard for him, but he is figuring it out this year thanks to help from his teacher, Margo LaBrie. Young Hagan shared those thoughts in a letter to a Kearney television station, which ended up earning LaBrie recognition as NTV’s Outstanding Teacher Award winner.
    “My teacher is an outstanding teacher because she always believes in us,” Hagan wrote in a letter read over a Zoom call by chief forecaster Kent Boughton, which was broadcast to the entire student body on the last day of school. 

    Long-term care facilities welcome visitors
    Reduced COVID visitation restrictions announced this week came as welcome news for residents and family members at Aurora’s two long-term care facilities, where hugs and up-close visits are allowed again as long as everyone in the room has been vaccinated.
    Administrators at both Memorial Community Care and Westfield Quality Care collaborated on the revised guidelines with a goal of sending the same, welcoming message to the community. That message also comes with a cautionary tone.

    Aurora Class of 2021 marches on
    The Aurora High School Class of 2021 joined the long list of Huskie alumni Saturday, after each of the 99 students who walked the stage took a moment to turn their tassels from one side to the other.
    It was an uncertain start for this group, as was echoed in speeches given by both Ellie Wanek and Briana Heckenlively, but they pushed through and persevered despite the obstacle of COVID-19 and all that came with it. 
    This class still achieved, celebrated, played, studied, sang and more together and they did it in true Aurora style.
    Heckenlively stepped to the podium to face her peers, teachers, family and the community and gave them a quote to first ponder.

    Carlson roars into pole vault lore
    A rather large crowd had gathered near the vault pit to witness potential school history being made. What they got, along with that, was a special father-son moment. 
    Aurora’s Caden Carlson, competing on his home turf, moved up to second on the Huskies’ all-time pole vault list Thursday at the B-5 district meet, clearing 14-08 to win the event and becoming one of 13 state qualifiers for the Huskies. 
    Carlson was nearly flawless in the early going, clearing 13-00, 13-06, 14-01 and 14-08 all on his first attempt as the competition dwindled from four to just himself. 
    Once Carlson cleared 14-01, he set a new PR for himself and moved a bit higher on the all-time Aurora list. 
    That was exciting enough, but what followed was special for a variety of reasons.

    Internship program connects students, businesses
    Heading out into the world involves a lot of skills that students need to sharpen as they prepare for their future. Through a partnership with the Aurora Chamber of Commerce and Aurora High School, students have been given the opportunity to partner with area businesses and get real-world interview practice.
    Chamber executive director Justise Rhoden explained that they have previously worked with the school to help give students on-the-job experiences, but this is the first year they have utilized the interview process.